A Public Elementary School with Uniforms and Prayers?

When you walk into Escuela Franklin D. Roosevelt in San Pedro, Costa Rica at 7:00 AM on a weekday morning, you will see a statue of the Virgin Mary in the courtyard and a bulletin board that displays the words to the “Padre Nuestro” prayer.You will see elementary school students wearing their blue and white school uniforms and bowing their heads to pray before class begins.Did I mention that this is a PUBLIC elementary school?

Throughout the semester, Elon Education majors have had the chance to compare and contrast the Costa Rican education system with the U.S. education system by taking a seminar class and engaging in a practicum in a local Costa Rican school.Some Elon NC Teaching Fellows have been spending time with teachers at local private schools.Three Elon Elementary Education majors have been observing and assisting various teachers at the public school Escuela Roosevelt.

With the semester ending in a few weeks, we are now preparing to teach an English lesson or lesson about life in the United States.Overall, our practicum experiences have been worthwhile and eye-opening.We all hope to remember our practicums and the lessons we have learned about Costa Rica so that we can help prepare our future students to be globally aware citizens.